Arachnophobia
by Drizzle117
Summary: In a tribe of cats that see spiders as equals, the leader's daughter, Arachnid, longs to get away from her home. She has arachnophobia, which sets her aside from the others as a freak. When she hears of the mysterious Clans, Ara vows to join them, but her journey will be more difficult than she thinks...because of her arachnophobia.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Sometimes the stars speak to me. And I listen.

I like to go outside, feel the cool grass squish under my paws and send shudders of excitement up my leg. I especially like to go outside in the dark and gaze up outside at the stars, bright, twinkling balls of light hanging in the sky. My mother has always told our group that the stars are there to light our way when the moon is gone, but I've always wondered if they have a deeper purpose in life, and if I will ever unravel that difference.

I don't think that I will. My mother has always told me that I am useless in life. I don't like her very much. She's mean to me. Every day she tells me how worthless I am. I always listen, and never put up a fight. Mother is the group leader. She must know these things.

Mother never tells my brother and sister that they're worthless. They can hunt, and fight, and are big and strong. They aren't afraid of anything, and laugh at me when I fall down. It makes a fire alight in my mind, and I want to yell at them, tell them I'm just as good. But something stops me.

I know what it is that does.

It is my fear.

No, I'm not scared of them. I'm not scared of Mother, either. I'm not scared of my father, who is big and tough and looks like he could survive just fine on his own. I'm not scared of any cat in my group, or any foxes or badgers.

I'm scared of the one creature that our group admires most, besides cats. Mother, being the ruler, decided one day that her favorite creature would be our emblem.

**"It has grace, elegance, deadly beauty****_," _**she proclaimed to us one day, silhouette dark against the bright morning. **"It creates a beautiful home for itself that is both intricate and gorgeous in its own way. It is none other than the spider, an arachnid so simple yet so complicated…"**

I had zoned out at this part of the speech, and was going over my worries in my mind. Spiders had terrified me ever since I was a young kit, no bigger than a squirrel, and was eating my mouse when all of a sudden a large spider, the same size as my paw, crawled up over the mouse and hissed at me.

Of course I screamed and scrambled backward, and when my brother saw it, he laughed at me like he always does, picked up the spider with his paw, and brought it to Mother where she could admire it. She even had it live in her den so it could spin her a web. I've hated spiders ever since.

They are the emblem of my group, however. It's terrible, because I'm named after them. My name is Arachnid. Others call me Ara.

I am seen as an outcast, a freak, a leader's daughter gone wrong. The only ones who listen to me are the stars. I go outside in the squishy grass, feeling the shivers run up my leg, and I speak to them, and they listen to me.

Mother says that the stars aren't alive. They're simply balls of light that hang in the sky to light our way.

But…but if Mother is wrong? What if the stars really _are _cats, just like us? I already know that I am a freak, but what if freaks can hear the stars? Can freaks be discarded like they're trash, even if their parents are leaders of groups?

Can freaks, in a group that see spiders as equals, have arachnophobia?


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

**"Freak!"**

All the breath is knocked out of me as I am shoved down onto the ground, dust flying everywhere and getting up my nose, causing me to cough. The she-cat who's attacking me grins and leaps on top of me, landing flat on my back. A small whimper jets out of my mouth as she begins to pummel my neck with her hind paws.

**"Why can't you be like all the other cats?" **she whispers in my ear, pushing my head down and twisting it so I'm staring up into her dark brown eyes. **"Why can't you respect Mother and her choices?" **

**"L-l-let me g-go!" **I sputter as best as I can with my face pressed into the dirt. Some of it gets on my tongue, and I spit it out in horror. **"W-when Mother finds out about this…"**

**"I just want an answer, ****_Arachnid_****," **the she-cat hisses in my ear. **"I don't have time for your pitiful whining and pleading. So give me a ****_straight answer_****!" **Each time she says the word 'answer' she pushes my face farther into the dust, making me cough. 

**"Just let me go! Please!" **My words are now muffled, seeing as her long brown-and-black fur is getting in my mouth, so I suppose I sounded more like: **"Muff let me fo, weez!"**

Her breath is hot on my neck. **"Not a chance, freak. Tell me the answer, and I'll let you leave."**

I want to tell her the answer, just tell her and get it all over with. But the recalcitrance in me refuses. I have to stand my ground, no matter how tough she's being on me. **"I'll only answer if you get off of me!"**

The she-cat stares at me as if trying to figure out if I'm joking or not. I'm not, and stare at her in defiance, trying to look brave. I'm not quite sure if it works. I'll never know, because at that moment another cat comes into the clearing. He's a large tom, with brown fur and light green eyes.

**"What're you doing, Tara?" **His voice is loud and drawling, just as I imagined the bully cats in my fantasy dreams.

The she-cat, who I've known all my life as Tara, raises one paw off of me and smirks at the tom. **"Aww, nothing, Wolf. Just playing with sis. Wanna join in?"**

My eyes widen, and I rapidly shake my head. Wolf, my brother, is much larger than Tara, and could probably crush me with just his weight, let alone Tara's combined. Some other cats have gathered around now, whispering and smirking. They all know me as the freak. They don't care what happens.

**"Do I?" **Wolf bares his teeth and grins. **"Sounds like…fun."**

I prepare to have the life crushed out of me when all of a sudden I feel the weight of Tara removed. This is my chance – my _only _chance. I have to move quickly.

Sprinting out from under her, I streak past the watching cats and whip around, claws already unsheathed, to face my siblings. They laugh, though Wolf's laugh is a little edgy. Tara stalks toward me, claws out, glinting in the sunlight.

**"You said you would give me answers if you got out, Arachnid. So…what are they? Why are you such a freak, and why do you disrespect Mother?"**

She makes a wild swipe, and I duck. Tarantula has never been good with her aiming, and she curses silently under her breath as I reply, panting, **"I don't disrespect her! You all disrespect me!"**

**"But it was she who decided this group's emblem would be the spider. We all respected that, yet you insist it be changed, and hate upon our chosen creature!" **Each time Tara begins a new phrase she dives at me, and I roll out of the way. It's just one of the advantages of being the runt of Mother's three-kit litter.

My teeth are grit as I dive out of the way of another swipe. **"You ****_know _****that I'm scared of spiders!" **The whole crowd murmurs; I think that I hear laughter among some of the mews, and it just makes me more riled up. **"And you're just a lazy, cruel-hearted piece of fox-dung who has nothing better to do than to torture her sister!"**

With the last word my claws connect with the side of Tara's face; panic flares in her brown eyes for just a heartbeat and then it's gone. **"You're going to pay for that…you're going to pay for that…"**

I know I am. Because Wolf has already gone to get Mother.

A few heartbeats later I hear her voice, shrill and demanding. **"****_Arachnid!_****"**

My fur fluffed up against my neck, eyes still fixed on the snarling form of Tara, I stalk into my mother's den, prepared to meet my fate.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

I hate my mother's den.

I've explained her immense love of spiders but perhaps haven't done it enough justice. Seriously, she _loves _spiders. Cobwebs line the walls, spiders sitting in them. Some even rest in the moss beds, patiently weaving. I try my hardest to avoid stepping on the ones that crawl across the floor, shivers rapidly racing down my spine.

When I was a kit I used to jump on them as a game, kind of like jumping on scattered stones, if you will. That day Mother sliced me across the face and yelled at me for what felt like a whole sunrise.

As much as I fear the spiders, I have to put up with them when I visit Mother. It's really very terrible.

Trying to look past the little brown and black arachnids that are crawling up and down the walls, I stare straight ahead at my mother, who's stroking one spider with a single claw. Without looking up, she says to me, **"Hello, Ara."**

The way she casually tosses around my nickname makes me grit my teeth. **"Mother. Widow. Why did you call for me?"**

I've hit a nerve. Mother's expression hardens for a second, and she traps the spider under her paw before it can run away. Her sky blue eyes suddenly darken, and she turns to face me. **"You know why you're here."**

Yes, I do, but I'm not going to tell her that anytime soon. Not when I already feel so unnerved, with the spiders surrounding me and all…** "No…no, I don't." **

Widow stands up her full height – and she's _tall _for a cat her age. **"You're lying to me. You're lying to your mother, and your group leader. That's a form of disrespect, Arachnid."**

I really want to roll my eyes. I'm not going to, though. The spiders in the cave are giving me chills all up and down my back, and with their thousands of beady eyes on me I feel like I can't say anything without being ridiculed by those ridiculous bugs. **"Sorry, Mother."**

She looks me up and down as if trying to decide as if I'm sincere or not. **"So you do know why I've called you here?"**

**"Yes, Mother." **

**"Why, then?"**

I look at her straight on – anything to get my view off of the spiders. **"I slashed Tarantula on the face, Mother. She was harassing me and –" **But I am cut off, as usual. Widow's jet black fur is bristling high on her back.

**"Your sister Tara is a brave, wonderful cat who is an excellent hunter! We can't afford to lose her! You need to stop provoking her to attack you!"**

**"But I didn't—"**

**"Don't talk back to your mother!" **Widow snaps, eyes blazing like twin balls of ice. **"This has to be the fifth time this moon you've attacked either Wolf or her, and I'm getting tired of it!"**

I'm trying to get in, trying to let her see something, anything that will make her reasoning change, when suddenly the trigger is pulled. A large, black, considerably hairy spider crawls onto my shoulder and, (I swear!) makes a hissing noise.

I can't help it.

I scream as loud as I can and spring out of Mother's den. Loud snickers await me; I whip around to see all of the other cats in the group, save Tara, laughing. The she-cat afraid of the emblem; how funny.

Widow's voice calls after me, still bristling and upset. **"You…you've disrespected my rule too many times, Arachnid! That attitude had better change!"**

Her face disappeared partway into the darkness, blue eyes still glinting. **"You'd better change..." **she whispers in a loud tone, making shudders run up and down my back that simply add to the ones I had gotten earlier.

Well, that was another failure at explaining how terrible my littermates were being to me. I sighed and continued to walk around the camp. Cats wrinkled their noses and flinched away from me everywhere I went, as if when I placed my pawsteps on the grass that spot was cursed. Where to go?

Normally I would visit the stars at times like this – they were my only friends and I could tell them anything I wished – but it was daylight, and the stars wouldn't be out yet. It seems like I'll just have to curl up in my den until nighttime when all of a sudden I hear a voice drifting past.

**"…and so the five Clans were formed: ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan. They had to face many perils to become how they are in the stories you hear nowadays…"**

Who's talking? If anything, I'll listen to a story. Peeking my head around the nearest corner, I see none other than my father, Lynx, talking to the youngest kits in the group, light green eyes wide as he dramatically tells the story. Well, that won't do. Can't let _him _see me or he'll tell Widow. Perhaps I can just listen in from here…

**"…ThunderClan had the skills to hunt in the thickest undergrowth, RiverClan could swim in the wildest of rivers, WindClan could run swifter than the breeze, SkyClan could leap higher than any other cat, and ShadowClan could hunt in the darkest of nights, using the night sky to their advantage. For many moons they lived in a peaceful forest, until Twolegs started to cut it down and they were forced to go on a quest to find a new home…"**

I don't know how long I sit there, listening, entranced. Sometimes the kits would ask questions, and my father would answer them patiently, more patiently then he had ever answered any of my questions when I was that age. The stories of the Clans are unraveled in front of me, and I soak them all in, finally feeling, grasping something that I can cling to when the stars aren't around to guide me.

**"But Lynx," **one of the smallest she-kits squeaks with confusion hanging by a thread in her tone. **"Are the Clans real?"**

The question I had been wondering the entire time has appeared, and I hold my breath, waiting for the answer, when suddenly unsheathed claws rake across my face and a voice, grim and dark, hisses in my ear, **"You are ****_so _****dead."**


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

** "Don't you move," **the cat with claws to my throat snarls as I stand, frozen with shock and horror, against the wall. It 's a she cat's voice, cold and familiar. The first thing I notice about her is the gash down her face, now covered with leaves.

My voice lets out a squeak of panic. **"T-Tara?"**

The brown-and-black she-cat glares at me, deep brown eyes looking so intent that if looks could kill I would have dropped dead heartbeats ago. I note that the leaves on her wound are plentiful and thick, and look very uncomfortable, though it doesn't stop any of her agility, as she makes another swipe. This time I duck, but slip and slam my face into the dust.

**"You humiliated me, and you're nothing more than a kit," **my sister grumbles, one visible eye glaring as she slowly stalked closer. My insides start to turn to mush, and I try to stammer something while pushing upward with one paw. It doesn't work.

Tara slams one of her large paws on my back; with a gasp I ram into the ground again, just like that moment so recent. **"You're…going…to…****_pay!_****"**

I want to plead; I want to beg; I want to scream and wail, but something stops me. Whether it is my fear or my pride I have no idea, but all I know is that my face is in the dirt and my mouth is filled with grit and everything is spinning…spinning…spinning…

Sharp claws prick my skin, and I flinch, trying to say something but unable to due to all of the dirt currently clogging up my mouth. The sun is setting, casting vibrant echoes of pinks and oranges jetting across the sky, yet I am unable to see any of that. Dull, dusty brown fills my vision and nothing else. Tara is pushing harder.

**"How does it feel now, Arachnid?" **she hisses in my ear maliciously, voice laced with sweet honey but the inside overflowing with shadow. **"How does it feel to be the one beaten into the ground?"**

**"I never – ungh! – beat you into the ground!" **I yelp, my paws frantically scrabbling at the dust, trying to get free. It's not working.

**"You may as well have," **Tara snaps, claws sliding dangerously near my throat. **"Do you even have any ****_idea _****how humiliating that was?"**

Of course I have an idea. I am humiliated every day. But something tells me she won't be thrilled if I point that out now.

There is sudden chatter from around the corner, and I hear the voices of some of the younger kits; evidently Lynx has finished his story and is now coming right around the bend, about to see his eldest daughter pounding me into the ground. Tara notices this too, and briefly I can see shock and panic flit across her face. Shadow shrouds her expression for a heartbeat, and then she lifts her paw, freeing me. She knows better. Tarantula is not a cat to get in trouble with her parents.

I take the opportunity as a chance to get away, which I do. I push as hard as my paws will carry me, and take off. Tara sneers behind me.

**"You can run, Arachnid, but you can never escape forever!"**

I don't take that statement to heart, because at the time I don't quite understand what she means. The adrenaline is pumping in my ears and my heart is pounding. But that statement…that statement meant something I never would have pictured.

_**"You can run, Arachnid…but you can never escape forever!"**_

* * *

The stars are out now, even though the sky is still painted with orange and pink. I'm sitting outside the camp, looking up at them. I think I can hear them twinkling, whispering, singing to me. I don't quite know what they're saying, but one day I think I want to find out.

_Twinkle, twinkle, _the stars say mischievously.

** "…I don't know what to do," **I whisper to them, not expecting any answer of any kind. All I expect to see are the stars, twinkling in the crystalline night sky.

But instead, I see a vision.

I see amber eyes that strangely swap to light blue and back again, gazing into mine, a tail twining itself, soft purrs emerging from an unknown cat's throat. I hear a hustle and bustle behind me of many cats talking, and I feel…safe. Nothing I could ever feel here. A pleasant warmth sweeps over me. Here I am happy. Here I am loved. Here I am home.

And then, all of a sudden, it's gone.

I stare up at the stars, horror pounding in my ears. _What _was _that?_** "Hello?" **I yell out, hoping desperately for some sort of answer, another vision, _anything. _**"Anyone there?"**

As expected, there is no answer.

All I know is that that place in my head wasn't this group, this spider-clan of cats. I will never fit in here. I'll be bullied by Tara and Wolf and disregarded by Mother. I will be shunned by the rest of the cats simply because of my fear.

_Twinkle, twinkle. _The stars seem to agree with my decision, even though I myself am not even sure it is the correct one.

I have to leave.

But where will I go? Where will I go to find that place where I am loved, and surrounded by friends, and feel safe in the shadow of the trees, under the bright morning sky? Nowhere near here, that's for sure…

Looking up at the stars, I meow pitifully, **"Please give me another sign! Something, anything that will help me! ****_Please!_****"**

There is no answer.

Like I expected.

Sighing, I begin to circle in the grass, attempting to make it a bit more comfortable. Once I'm certain it's been softened enough, I settle down with a loud sigh and rest my head on the cool dirt, feeling it worm its way into my pelt. I'm not going back to the camp right now. I need to think, somewhere where I won't be attacked at any moment.

**"Where can I go?" **I muse to myself, using one of my paws to flick at a stray piece of grass in front of me. It lands atop my nose and I sneeze, surprised, before continuing, still in that same, melancholy tone. **"Where can I go and fit in…and still have my arachnophobia?"**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

The rest of the night is uneventful – I have no wicked dreams, no disturbances, nothing, just the calm feeling of the grass brushing against my nose as I slowly snooze. I feel like I could sleep forever.

But, however, that is never the case.

I am awoken by the sunlight on my eyelids, shining brightly and making me squint. I'm still out in the valley, which could be a good thing. If I really am going to carry out with my crazy plan, this is a good place to leave from.

Slowly getting to my paws, I take a few moments to stretch out, yawning as I do. The morning is bright, and a few birds tweet lazily in the distance. The grass is sticking to my paws; irritated, I brush it against the ground to remove it. My ears twitch, listening for movement. Apparently no one in the camp has woken up yet. I'm the first.

This could be used to my advantage. If no one is awake yet, I could run to the camp, get some fresh-kill – I can't waste the time to hunt now – and then head out where no one could see.

There is still the slight problem that I'm not quite sure where I'm going, but that'll all be fixed once I head out. You can't get anywhere until you know where you're going, right?

Darting into the camp at top speed, I slow down as I near the dens where all of the other cats in Mother's group are sure to be sleeping quietly. The difficulty with having the fresh-kill pile in the center of the area is that all of the dens are surrounding it, and if I don't want to be heard, I have to get in quietly, get my food, and get out.

Eyes narrowing, I look through the pile of food settled in the center. Nothing particularly catches my eye – apparently the cats haven't been very successful with hunting recently – but then I decide on a semi-plump vole. If I'm not going to get anything that's fat, I might as well get _something._

Paws delicately treading across the dirt, I slowly grab the vole in my jaws…

…and a low voice mews from behind me, surprised and almost a little bit shocked. **"Arachnid?"**

My brown eyes go wide; skidding in a circle I blink in surprise to see that my father, Lynx, is looking at me in complete confusion. **"Arachnid,"** he repeats in a low voice, low enough for no one but us two to hear. **"What do you think you're doing?" **

My mouth opens but no words come out. **"Um…um…"**

Lynx's light green eyes slowly change from a flared anger to a slowly soothing calm. He looks at me with dry contempt. **"You're leaving us, aren't you?"**

I don't quite know what to say. A strangled noise escapes my throat, like I'm trying to get my vocal chords to work but they're not starting up. **"Well, you see…"**

He laughs, surprising me. It isn't a light, forced laugh like I would expect from my father; instead it is a deep and throaty one. **"You don't have to hide from me, Ara. I'm not your mother. As a matter of fact, I'm not your siblings, either. I'm your father."**

The world seems to spin around me. This dusty brown tom has never been there for me; has never helped me up when Tara and Wolf have pushed me down. He's been on his own, in the corner, watching silently but never saying anything. I should feel hatred towards him, as I do all members of my family.

So why is this strange feeling of kinship coming over me instead?

No. I can't let it take me over. **"I don't have to tell you anything," **I insist firmly, digging my claws into the dust as if to stabilize myself.

Lynx laughs again; I grit my teeth, because now that noise is really starting to get on my nerves. **"Are you going hunting, then? Out to the Twolegplace? Or maybe…" **His green eyes twinkle mysteriously. **"…to the Clans?"**

I can feel my heartbeat quickly pound, feeling almost like it would pound out of my chest. **"T-Those are real, then?"**

He looks at me curiously. **"Of course they're real!" **Sighing, Lynx turns and looks at me, expression suddenly more serious then I've seen it the entire night. **"Come now, Arachnid. Walk with me, and I'll explain it all."**

I don't want to trust him.

I shouldn't trust him.

He has never stood up for me when I was beaten into the ground. He has never been there for me like the father figure I pictured when I was just a young kit, barely old enough to totter around on stubby little legs. I should not follow Lynx right now.

But my curiosity leads me onward.

Slowly picking up the vole in my jaws, I follow my father out of the camp and to the dark green trees that signify the undergrowth approaching.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

We go in silence for a few heartbeats. I really can't say anything because of the vole grasped firmly in-between my teeth, but even if I could speak I'm not quite sure what I would say. Lynx's dusty brown fur is laid flat, meaning he doesn't feel nervous or chilled at all. This is completely normal for him. I wish I could say the same.

Finally, after what feels like moons, my father speaks. **"I love your mother, you know."**

Of course I know that. I wouldn't be here if he didn't love her.

**"I love Tara and Wolf, too."**

Yes…

**"And I think I might love you."**

I look at him, confused. **"You only ****_think_**** you love your own daughter? What is that supposed to mean?" **

Lynx seems nervous now; he traces at the dirt with one paw in a circle, over and over, over and over again. It starts to make a deep rut in the ground. **"You've just been so difficult for us to raise…to handle…"**

**"Raise?" **I burst out, staring at him in horror. **"You haven't raised me! You've sat to the side and ****_watched_**** me! There's a big difference, you know."**

He looks at me mournfully.** "Ara…I love your mother. Your mother has the power in this group of cats. I have nothing. Am I supposed to go against her rules and make her believe that I'm disobeying her?" **Lynx's green eyes flit towards the ground again. **"I've never been able to get close to you."**

Pure adrenaline heats up around me. I want to scream; I want to run and leave this sorry excuse for a cat behind. I've known it all along, and never more than now – I _have _to leave this group. When the one cat who claims he cares about me is too nervous to approach me because of _ranking_, I knew it was all over.

**"Cut to the chase," **I snap, digging my claws into the thick grass to stop myself from lashing out at his face.** "Clans. Are they real, or are they not? And if they are real, where can I find them?"**

Lynx looks at me, a hint of humor glinting in his grass-green eyes.** "Well, I've never been there, but if I were to go find them, I would start by heading…" **He gestures towards a row of long, wooden sticks that surround large, multi-colored structures – Twoleg nests. My father is showing me the Twolegplace. **"…that way. Just keep walking…I think you're a smart cat, Ara. Strange, but smart. You can find the way."**

Is he deceiving me? Peering into his honest gaze, something tells me that he's not. A pang of hurt hits my heart. If I leave, I'll be leaving behind this newfound figure who is funny and kind.

But who's to say he'll ever talk to me again?

I have to leave.

**"Thank you," **I reply curtly, bowing my head slightly. The wind ruffles the fur behind my neck, making me shiver. **"I think I'll be on my way now."**

I can tell that's not what he was expecting; a sudden and forlorn look appears on his face but he quickly wipes it away. **"Good luck, Ara. I don't think I'll have to tell your mother – she's smart too. She'll know what's happened." **Lynx's eyes lock onto my brown ones. **"You have your mother's brains, Arachnid."**

I shudder. Any connection to my mother frightens me, to say the least. But I have to acknowledge it. I have to leave. The Twolegplace isn't too far now.

Turning away from him, I begin a slow, steady walk towards the large wooden beams and strange hollow structures that signify the beginning of the strange home of Twolegs. The walk quickly continues into a jog, which soon becomes a long stride, which is then an all out sprint. I have to get away…

…I have to get away…

But what about Lynx? Can I just leave him?

I think of all of the times that Tara and Wolf have slammed me into the ground, causing me to fight back and get in trouble. I think of all of the times that Widow has mocked me and belittled me just because of my fear. Has Lynx, nice as he is now, ever helped with that before?

…the answer is no.

I slowly place one paw up on the long wooden board – I'm pretty sure it's called a fence – and start the climb, but something stops me. Casting a quick glance over my shoulder I see my father looking back at me a little mournfully, like he was hurt that I never bothered to say goodbye.

I grit my teeth and climbed up and over the fence.

Goodbye, old life.

Hello, new adventure.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

I don't know how long I've been walking for in the Twolegplace.

The grass is almost overly soft, and the bushes are large and perfectly grown. It's almost like a sort of paradise compared to what I'm used to – catmint lingers in some of the bushes, and I have to focus hard not to go try some. Widow's group brought some back once. I didn't get any.

No. I have to keep moving. I have to find the Clans, wherever they might be, and presuming that Lynx is telling me the truth. I don't quite know why I'm so sure he is. It isn't like I've ever trusted him before.

Another fence looms in front of me; again, I leap up atop it and continue onward. Next garden, next fence. It continues on and on like that for what seems like moons but is probably only heartbeats.

I don't realize how hungry I am until the pains hit my like a stone, cramping up in my stomach and causing me to nearly yowl. They're so profound, so pain-filled, it makes me want to scream. The small vole I had finished off a while back, and now I had nothing to eat.

My brown eyes flit back and forth around the garden. There has to be _some _sort of food hanging around, right? Maybe a mouse…if I'm lucky, perhaps a squirrel?

Nose twitching, I gaze around the garden I'm currently in. It's a strange one, not with soft green grass like the others. The grass is dry, hard, and brittle, with a yellowish tinge to it that nerves me. But food is much more important.

Crouching down, stalking delicately across the crunching grass, I start my way around the yard, when there's suddenly an echoing snarl behind me. I freeze, ears twitching madly, trying to figure out what made the noise.

It comes again; not the noise of a cat, but the noise of a deep-throated enemy. Brown eyes wild, I whip around, fur already starting to bristle along my back.

I'm too late.

A huge dog, the largest I've ever seen, with short ebony fur and a vicious growl, lunges at me, yellowish canines bared and paws outstretched.

Not prepared, I let out a screech as it slams into my chest, knocking me to the ground. The dog stands over me, growling. I feel my claws slip out of their sheaths, but fat lot of good it'll do me now. Saliva drips onto my fur and trickles slowly down my neck.

It's all over. I left the group, and this is my punishment.

Death by dog.

Closing my eyes, I prepare for my fate.

I feel the warmth of the dog's breath on my throat, but for some reason, it's not biting down. _Get it over with, already_, my mind screams. _Just finish me. You don't have to drag it out like this…_

**"Hey, what're you doing to that poor she-cat?" **

The dog yelps as a loud thud echoes throughout the yard. The loud, triumphant crow of a tomcat that can't be much older than me follows immediately. I hear the scrape of claws and the jingle of a melodic bell, and then the dog is off of me, whining, tail tucked, as it runs back towards its Twoleg nest.

I feel fur press against mine, and the same young male voice meowing quickly, **"Hurry, over this fence and you'll be in my yard! You'll be safe there!" **

He doesn't have to ask me twice – I take off at an extreme sprint over the fence…

…and land in a bush of mint.

I can tell it's mint because of the smell that suddenly surrounds me, so wonderful that I can feel myself beginning to purr. The tom that was with me leaps down into the bush, laughing, the giggle sounding almost like a little kit. Finally I turn to look at my savior for the first time.

He's not very attractive, that's for sure. His white fur is ruffled and he's obviously been rolling in the dirt or something, because it's smudged and smeared. There are even a few patches where it looks like the tom has pulled fur right off of his body. How did he manage to pull _that _off?

His amber eyes, however, are a different story.

They're bright and filled with something that is intelligence and smarts, mixed with awe and humor all in one. There are tiny flecks of hazel in them that somehow add to the overall appearance. If he didn't have such ragged, messy fur I would be attracted to him for his eyes alone.

The tom grins, amber eyes yet again flashing. As he moves, I see under his ruffled pelt a thin piece of leathery substance with a small bell attached. A collar. He lives with Twolegs?

…well, of course he does, or else he wouldn't have called this his "yard."

**"Hello there, Miss," **he smiles, pointed teeth showing. **"My name is Owl."**

**"…Ara," **I reply shortly. Even if this tom has just saved my life, he's barely older than I am, and I should introduce myself to be polite and then head on my way.

Owl smiles, looking up and down. **"That's a pretty name."**

I shrug. I've never really thought about it before, as I've always hated my name oh-so-much.

An awkward silence pauses between us, and for a moment I'm not sure what to say. Owl doesn't seem to know either, seeing as all he's doing is looking at me with a tiny smile on his face.

All of a sudden a clearly female voice shrieks, **"Who is ****_that?_****" **Before I have time to react, I feel a weight slamming into me from behind; yelping, I slam into the dirt and grope for something, anything, but can already feel the world slipping away. Claws press against my throat, slightly shaking, as if the attacker doesn't really want to fight me. Sharp pains go into my mind, and before I know it, the world has gone dark and I am floating in nothingness.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

I don't know how long I was out for – it felt like heartbeats – but when I open my eyes I see that the sun has started to go down, with some of the twinkling stars starting to appear in the deep blue sky. It's late. I've been 'asleep' for a long time.

**"She's up, Rose!" **I hear the voice of Owl hiss. **"Now, go say you're ****_sorry_****." **The last word comes out more as a command than a statement, and I have to surpass a shudder. He can be a little forceful if he wants to be, despite his ragamuffin appearance.

A small tortoiseshell paw gently prods my side. **"Um…Miss Ara? My name is Rose, and Owl over there is my brother, and I'm so sorry that I knocked you over…I really didn't mean to…"**

_Knocked me over? _I want to yell at this ignorant little cat. _You knocked me out, for Widow's sake!_

**"Anyways, to repay you, Owl and I were wondering if you wanted to stay here for a few sunrises with our Twolegs…we can help you recover from…whatever happened." **I can't see Rose's expression, but her words sound forced and awkward. **"You look so hungry, and I love to help cats feel better. I use the plants I find around my garden and—"**

I don't want to know how she uses plants to make others feel better. Slowly getting to my paws, I hurriedly meow, **"No, no, that's fine…I have to go a long way."**

**"A long way?" **Owl bursts in, those incredible amber eyes lighting up. **"Like an adventure?"**

**"Ooh, I've always wanted to go on a big adventure!" **Rose squeals. Now that I'm standing up, I can finally see her clearly. She's rather small for her age, which appears to be a little older than me. Her pelt is short and spotted, just as a tortoiseshell's should be, and her dark amber eyes, darker than her brother's, seem to glow with anticipation.

**"Yeah, I guess you could call it an adventure," **I remark, paws itching to get out. I need food, I need water, I need to _run_.

Rose glances quickly at her brother and tilts her head slightly, as if trying to ask him a question telepathically. Is this the right time to leave? Starting to back up, I freeze when I hear her soft but firm voice yet again.

**"Where are you going?"**

**"To a place far away, called the Clans,"** is my only answer. I really do need to leave. It'll be dark soon, and I'll need to find a tree I can make a temporary nest under or something. I can't waste my whole day talking to kittypets, even if one of them did save my life.

Owl speaks up next, voice laced with excitement. **"Wait, the Clans? As in ****_the _****Clans? ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan?" **The words come out in an intense blur, and I have to sit there for a few seconds trying to figure out what he had said.

When it finally hits me, I look at him, my eyes now going wide. **"You've heard of them?"**

**"Our mother used to tell us stories about them!" **Rose jumps in, a dreamy expression crossing her face. **"I've always wanted to go there…Mother used to tell me I'd make the best medicine cat the Clans had ever seen!"**

**"I'd love to be a warrior, brave and bold!" **Owl unsheathes his claws, grinning at me. **"I could fight any trespasser that comes my way!"**

**"Well, I would help cats heal!" **Rose shot back, flicking her tortoiseshell tail in her brother's face. Leaving him startled, she turns to me, eyes shining. **"Oh, Ara! Thank you so much for coming and helping us go to the Clans!"**

_Wait, what?_

** "Help ****_you _****go to the Clans?" **I say again, somewhat stupidly. Rose's grin doesn't leave her face, and now Owl is smiling widely too.

**"Yes! We can all stay here tonight, and then we'll leave in the morning!"** The tortoiseshell she-cat is really hyped up now, I can tell by the wild look in her amber eyes and the way she's smiling so much she looks like a kit that's just caught its first prey. **"You can eat with us and sleep in the nest, and…"**

**"Wait." **I hate to intrude, but I have to make something clear. **"You guys aren't coming with me."**

Rose stops jumping and stares at me, crestfallen; Owl narrows his eyes. **"Why not?"**

**"It's a personal journey. I'm trying to go unnoticed, and more cats would attract more attention." **I know that I'm grabbing random excuses, because I just don't want to throw the truth out there: _I don't really want to travel with you two. _Rose is strange in her own way – she seems like the kind of cat who can be kind and innocent one minute and then insane the next. Owl makes me nervous. He's always studying me, like I'm some sort of prey he has yet to catch.

Rose's tail droops, and she looks at the ground. Her brother wraps his tail over her shoulder and narrows those incredible eyes at me. **"I thought you seemed like a nice cat, Ara," **he grumbles. **"I guess I was wrong."**

My heart shatters; seeing Rose so small and innocent and Owl so tough and aggravated is killing me. I have to say something; have to do something to make it okay. It isn't in my nature, but their expressions…it's just like when I abandoned Lynx.

These cats, at least, are nice to me. I can't just leave them.

**"…okay, I'll think about it. I'll stay here tonight and let you know what I've decided in the morning." **My voice is strong and firm, yet my mind is shaking.

Rose's eyes light up, and she purrs. **"Oh, thank you, Ara! I knew you could be nice! I just knew it!" **She darts up and presses against me, that rumbling purr echoing. Owl grins too, saying nothing, but his eyes conveying his thrilled emotions.

As I slowly follow them towards the Twoleg nest, I feel like I've done the right thing.

Partially.

Because the other part of my mind is screaming as loud as it can, _Oh Widow, what have I done?_


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

**"So…you're sure your Twolegs will be okay with you just…leaving?"**

Owl nods, amber eyes focused straight ahead, never breaking stride. **"They didn't care about us too much…not as much as we would have liked."**

**"Ever since the mother brought home a new little one," **Rose interrupts, her eyes wide but somewhat forlorn, **"they haven't played with us nearly as much." **Her tortoiseshell tail droops; her eyes flicker to the ground and do not move.

Looking back at his sister with worry in his eyes, Owl continues, **"So we've decided it's for the better if we go off on our own."**

I don't say anything. I've never understood how Twoleg ways work, and I don't intend to start now. I just need to find the Clans and all will be well. I just have to see if I can put up with an insanely shy and crazy she-cat and a suave and irritating tom.

Let's all play the game "see how long Ara lasts in this madness!" My bet is on less than a sunrise.

Rose straightens up, eyes slowly hardening like chips of ice again. **"Well…what should we do now?"**

My ear twitches. I don't want to do anything but find the Clans, which has been my main goal all along. Why can't we just walk in silence? What's wrong with that?

…all my life I've desired for friends, but now that I have actual travelling companions, I'm starting to wonder if being alone was a better idea after all. Now my ears are ringing from the chatter of the other two and my head hurts. All I want is for them to just _be quiet._

Owl looks at his sister, eyes glinting. **"We can tell Ara all about our amazing stories!"**

**"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" **Rose gasps, eyes alight with joy; she even hops a little off of the ground. I groan as she launches right into the tale of how she chased a butterfly into a patch of nettles. Their rambling continues on and on as we walk through the Twolegplace.

_Oh, Widow, _I groan in my head. _When will it end? I just want to get to the Clans – is that too much to ask?_

Apparently, yes. I have been cursed with insane, chatterbox companions.

I've changed my mind. "See how long Ara lasts in this madness" is now down to a few more heartbeats. Because I _know _I can't take this anymore.

Moaning in frustration, I head forward, Owl and Rose chiming in all the while.

I don't know how long we've been walking – at least one sunrise – and the strip of Twoleg houses hasn't ended yet. **"How long does this place go on for?" **I mutter, under my breath, but am surprised to hear Rose answer me.

**"We should be getting out of it soon, don't worry!" **she chirps like a little bird. **"We've sometimes traveled back and forth between the Twolegplace and the woods…we've never gone into the words, though." **

Owl nods in agreement. **"We've come close," **he snaps though, as if I might have been having second thoughts. **"We just needed…"**

**"A push!" **Rose smiles. **"And you were our push into adventure and into a new life."**

I am about to answer – to tell them to just _be quiet _– but I don't have to. My blood goes cold when I realize that another voice, just behind us, has said it for me.

**"Hey, little girl. Why don't you just shut your mouth right now and there'll be no trouble later on."**

The voice is cold and dark, undoubtedly male. It's gritty, like stone scraping stone, and makes me want to cry out, shiver, or maybe both. I don't want to look to see what kind of horrid cat must bear a voice such as this one, but I know I must. I have left my home to prove that I am strong, and even if I'm scared out of my wits, I have to be brave. Heart shaking nervously, I turn to face the stranger.

As I suspected, he is not pleasant looking. His smile reveals dirty, yellowish, crooked teeth, and his eyes are as dark as night. His pelt is ragged and, in some clumps, torn off. It's so dirty I can't even tell what color it's supposed to be. The unpleasant tom takes another pawstep forward. **"Come on, little sweetie."**

Rose's tortoiseshell fur bristles along her back, and she hisses, revealing sharp fangs. **"Get away from me, you creep!" **Owl nods, looking equally intimidating. Oh boy, I haven't had much practice with this yet. I try my hardest to look intimidating, unsheathing my claws and letting out a weak hiss.

The cat laughs. I don't even want to describe how he laughs – all I can say is that it brings a shudder throughout my whole body, even more so than anything Tara ever did to me. **"But this little pretty…and her friends…are marching around on my territory." **

Owl stiffens. **"The Twolegplace is no cat's territory!" **His amber eyes are flaring with horror and disgust.

**"Oh really?" **

This has upset Owl, I can tell. I want to intervene, but I'm not sure what I would say without croaking like a frog, so I decide to shut my mouth and let it go.

**"Yes! Yes, really!" **The white tom is spitting in rage now, claws burying into the fence like it's his last resort. Rose is hissing also, showing her support for her brother. **"Leave us alone! We're just trying to get to—"**

_He is _not _going to reveal where we're going._

**"—to the fields!" **I burst in for the first time, feeling all eyes on me. I feel strangely self-conscious as I continue, rambling in a dreamy voice and trying to sound as foolish and carefree as possible. **"Where we can play all day and chase butterflies and count clouds and…"**

The cat snarls and lunges at me before I can say anything more; yelping, I am flung to the ground and screech as my shoulders dig into the dirt. This is just like what Tara and Wolf would do to me…

Rose screams and Owl dives at the cat, claws extended. **"Leave her alone!"**

**"No cat is allowed in my territory," **the tom snarls back, claws digging into my skin, drawing small scarlet beads of blood. I cry out in pain and struggle, but this opponent is more experienced than my sister has ever been.

Owl growls, his white fur puffed up along his neck. **"How many times do I have to ask you?" **He takes one wild swipe at the tom. **"Let—"**

The tom dodges with ease, and by doing so, presses a little harder into my coat. I yelp, brown eyes wide as I feel the wind generated by Owl's paw whistle pass my ear, less than a mouse-length away.

**"—her—"**

Snarling, the tom kicks back at his opponent; Owl shrieks as he is flung into the fence and is momentarily stunned. I press into the ground, shaking. I am doomed I am doomed _I am doomed_

**"GO!"**

The last word comes from the last cat I would have expected: Rose. When I had been walking with her, it had seemed like she had no physical capability, but now she is like a great lion, atop her opponent like a cat to her prey, she is ripping and clawing and shredding and she _will not stop_ and pretty soon the cat is yelping as blood pours from his shoulders and his ears and I realize he has been pushing on my chest with his claws and _I don't feel so good…_

All of a sudden the weight is removed; I feel a cold, dark liquid running down my fur and clotting it together, leaving painfully obvious crimson splotches atop my white fur. Rose noses me to my paws, amber eyes concerned. **"Quickly, quickly, Ara. He won't stay down for long!"**

**"Owl?" **I croak in a voice so weak I can't believe it belongs to me.

She silences me with her tail. **"Shh, he's okay, he's coming, but we ****_have to run now_****." **The tortoiseshell looks back over her shoulder nervously.

Finally I am upright; I can hear the moans of the rogue cat as he stumbles to his paws as well, groaning and growling. Suddenly thankful for my new companions, I turn and flee as fast as my paws will take me.

I do not look back once.

**AN: Okay, guys, if you couldn't tell, I sorta left for two weekends because…I banned myself from the computer. I was getting a little obsessed with both this website and another forum that I'm a part of, and so my parents – and my conscious – told me I had to take a break. However, I managed to work on several things, including this brand-new chapter! I hope you enjoy! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, favorited, and followed so far.**

**~Driz **


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

**"I think…we…can stop now…"**

The words have come from Rose, who, having the least amount of stamina out of all of us, is panting, chest heaving in and out. Her light amber eyes look strained as well as pained, and she falls down without a second thought, Owl collapsing beside her.

I look back; there is no sign of the tom that had attacked us. I've been looking back every heartbeat, it seems, and I haven't caught sight of him once. He's probably stopped by now. With a sigh, I too collapse on the ground, feeling the coolness of the grass flood into my skin. It's more refreshing than anything else right now.

We all lie like that for a while, simply soaking in the sun and the dew from the grass, not speaking. It's the most luxurious thing that has happened to me in a while.

But soon, I begin to grow restless. I stir, moving back and forth and groaning. One of Rose's eyelids flicker; she moans. **"Ara, are you okay?"**

**"Fine," **I whisper, twisting again. **"I'm fine."**

She looks at me skeptically but doesn't protest, for which I am grateful. I really should be getting to sleep. It feels like I haven't slept in moons. Without another word, I sigh, close my eyes, and let myself slip away into the land of dreams.

I am awoken by something crawling down my neck.

Instantly irritated, I leap up to see it fall to the ground.

A large, black, hairy spider.

My screams make it scuttle off and wake Owl and Rose. My white fur is bushed up to thrice its normal size, and my eyes are wide and scared. I yelp again as it crawls over my paw in a hurry to get away. **"Get it off, get it off, getitoffgetitoffi****_getitoffofme!_****"**

**_"Ara! _****What's wrong?" **Owl cries, already up and staring around like there's an enemy all around him. I didn't mean to spook him, but now it's too late. I'm in a panic attack.

**"It was on me, crawling…while I slept…what if it bit me? What if?" **I screech in his face, eyes wild and claws digging into the dirt. He stares back at me, clearly confused and even a little bit frightened.

Rose is up now. She watches the scene with a look of horror on her young face. **"Ara?"** she whispers quietly.

I do not hear, I do not think, I do not breathe. I only live, and I live in a shell; a shell of fear that surrounds me and hollows me out so I cannot do anything except fear, and fear everything. I believe I am shuddering, though I cannot tell. All I can think of is the spider, and the way that it crawled across my paw with its long, unnatural legs moving in such a peculiar fashion it makes the shell yet stronger, and I cannot break it.

Someone presses up against me; I can tell by the smaller body that it is Rose, and not Owl. In some ways, I am glad that it isn't Owl, though I wonder for the life of me why. Rose begins to murmur something in my ear, but I cannot hear her words.

Slowly, slowly, I begin to stop shaking. Rose's voice floods through, reaching my mind. I am surprised to hear that she is singing a soft, melodic, strangely beautiful piece. Though my mind has not yet processed the words, I can hear the tone, and it is the most beautiful music I have ever heard.

Finally her words come into focus.

**"Starlight, starlight, let it touch your face, soft silky rays of honey and dewdrops, starlight, starlight will always light your way, shining in and above the treetops."**

I shake my head as if to get all of the bad thoughts about the spider out. **"Where did you learn that?"**

**"Our mother sang it to us when we were kits," **Rose replies, resting her tail over my shoulder. **"Are you okay?"**

I look at her, seeing how concerned she is, and all of a sudden I am incredibly thankful for my new companions' presence. **"I think so…yeah."**

**"Rose always loved that song," **Owl pipes in, clearly not wanting to be left out of any sort of conversation, whether it involved him or not. **"I was never the biggest fan." **He snorts and looks away.

Looking at him, I roll my eyes and sigh, lying down and placing my head on my paws. Rose leans over me, clearly trying to ignore her brother. **"Are you sure you're okay? What spooked you like that?"**

**"Why do you have to know?" **I ask, rolling over to enjoy the pleasant tingle of the sweet-smelling grass against my skin. She glares at me and places one paw on my chest; I stop and look up, eyes wide.

**"I'm going to be a medicine cat, Ara," **Rose grumbles. **"I have to know how to cure you."**

I don't want to tell her why I got locked in my fear shell, but I suppose I have no choice. If I'm going to be traveling for who-knows-how-many-more heartbeats with these two, they might as well know why I left. **"…I'm scared."**

**"Scared? Of what?" **Owl asks, voice becoming surprisingly soft.

I don't want to say it. Looking at the ground, I poke at an open patch of dirt, dislodging a stone. The pebble is rough, and pointed on one edge. It pierces the soft skin on my pad, causing me to wince and tap it away, watching it roll back into its indentation.

**"What is it?" **Rose asks, in the same sort of soothing tone.

Taking a deep breath in, I look up at them with hurt in my hazel eyes. **"…spiders."**

They both look at me, and then glance at each other. Rose's eyes seem questioning; she is confused, and is wondering why I am afraid. That is believable. But what I see in Owl's eyes is not the expression I had expected.

He looks…in one word that will sum it up, compassionate.

Owl's gaze locks on mine and does not move; it softens and he gives a little smile just to say that it's okay, that he gets it. This surprises me so much I actually fall backwards. If there was one of the two I'd expect to look like that, it'd be Rose. But Owl? Fierce, irritating Owl?

**"It's okay, Ara," **he whispers. **"The spider is gone now. We can keep on going."**

My throat has gone dry; suddenly I am struck by the realization that I've had nothing to drink in at least half a sunrise. My mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.

Rose voices my exact thoughts. **"Water…we need water, Owl."**

Blinking, the silver tom turns to look at his sister. **"I understand. Let's go. Ara, do you think you can travel?" **

To be honest, I'm not quite sure, but I know that I have to try or we'll all die of thirst. **"Yes. Yes, I can."**

He rests his tail over my shoulder and smiles. **"Then let's get going."**

We got out of the Twolegplace quite a while ago, and have been walking in open field ever since. I'm not quite sure where we'll find any water, if there is some around here, but we just have to continue onwards.

Owl is quite an accomplished hunter; he brings us back a rabbit to share once our paws are hurting from walking on and on. Rose bites into the meat right away, yet I am hesitant. I'm used to getting the last share of everything, so having a bite right out of the stomach of the fattest rabbit I've ever seen is a bit of a shock. With a small bit of prompting from Owl and Rose, however, I'm able to continue onward.

We travel together until the sun starts to sink down, and I feel as if my throat has dried up. I can hardly speak without coughing just a little bit, and my eyes plead for water. Rose staggers a little as she walks, yet Owl stays strong and continues to push on, though the fatigue is obviously taking him over too.

He is the one who finds the stream. It is small, and separating a rolling plain from a leafy green forest, but then I do not care about the environment.

Rose and I rush to the water and start greedily gulping, feeling it roll down our throats like liquid perfection. Owl purrs and joins us, and for a moment we are happy.

However, our pleasure is soon shattered when I hear soft pawsteps behind me. Turning, I see a lithe grey she-cat with darker stripes, white chest fur, and a dark grey and white ringed tail. Her blue eyes peer into me, and she lets out a low growl. Behind her are two others, a pale ginger tabby tom with a fluffy tail. He glares at us, letting out a louder grumble from deep inside his throat. Behind him stands another ginger tom, but his fur is shorter, and he looks nervous rather than angry.

The she-cat takes another step forward. **"What are you doing on WindClan territory?"**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

_Linch_

The first thought that runs through my head when I see her is that she is both beautiful and elegant, with rippling fur like waves across the ocean, yet deadly and could likely kill me in one swipe. I am not a cat that says that lightly. I have been on the street for moons, and yet here is a she-cat that could most likely best me easily. The thought is quite striking, actually, and I try my hardest to get the image out of my head.

**"Well?"** Her tone is as smooth as silk, yet hard as ice, just as I had expected her voice to be. **"Why have you come to my tribe?"**

**"Please," **I answer calmly, digging my claws into the ground as one of her many spiders crawls across my back. It slightly nerves me, but I take a deep breath in and ignore it. _Think, Linch. You can do this._ **"I bring news of your daughter."**

She looks at me skeptically, one paw slowly moving to curl up right underneath her black fur. **"You do, do you?" **Her eyes look me up and down. **"You look like you had a tough time just ****_getting _****here."**

All of a sudden I feel self-conscious; glancing down at my ruffled, dirty fur matted with blood and soil and scarred by long, intense scrapes, I force myself to chuckle, mind whirring. **"Ran into a hostile invader on the way here. Nothing big."**

**"Oh really?" **she asks, attention suddenly drawn to a single spider dangling precariously on a thread of silk. Her mouth curves into a slow smile as it pulls itself up and begins to climb.

My throat feels hoarse. **"Yes."**

She turns to me again, slamming me with that cold, cold gaze. **"So tell me. Where has my Arachnid gone?"**

Some cat rustles outside, and I can hear a few hurried whispers. Is someone listening to what we're talking about? I wouldn't blame them, honestly; I would be curious too. However, this doesn't stop me from feeling oddly stared at, and I don't really like it.

The she-cat looks at me again, patience clearly being eaten up by my silence. **"Do you know or don't you?" **she snaps harshly, making me flinch.

My voice chokes in my throat, so instead I rapidly nod. **"Yes…yeah, I do."**

**"So ****_tell me._****"**

I look up at another spider, crawling its way across the roof of the den, and can't resist yet another shudder. **"She's…she's traveling with two other cats. I don't quite know where they're headed, and I tried to stop them, Widow, I really did."**

Widow looks at the scar across my chest. **"How old were these cats?" **she asks, so quietly I can hardly hear her.

**"About Arachnid's age, nine or so moons." **The memory becomes fresh in my head, causing me to hiss. It was flawless! I should have been able to beat all three of them! …it was the blasted tortoiseshell. She looked weak, helpless. If she hadn't come back and attacked me…

Widow's voice snaps me out of my angry thoughts.

**"Is that so?"**

Something in those three little words makes me feel like Widow is very, very displeased. I don't really want to answer, but I do. **"Y-Yes, Widow. Nine or so moons."**

In a flash, she is up on her paws and slams into me, pushing me against the side of her den and causing some rocks to come loose and hit my head, along with about five or so spiders; it is so unexpected I stumble backwards into another spiderweb, a bigger one this time.

**"Nine or so moons? These cats were ****_nine moons _****and you couldn't catch them and take them to me?" **Widow snarls, claws out and hackles raised. She's even shuddering slightly. I am normally a fearless cat, but somehow she is scaring me more than any cat ever has before.

**"Well, they outnumbered me, and were somewhat formidable opponents, Widow…" **I mumble hopefully, but am blown back by her reply.

**"I DON'T CARE!" **Widow shrieks. I can hear the murmurs from outside the den, fast and quiet, curious and nervous at their leader's rage. **"LEAVE, AND DO NOT COME BACK UNLESS YOU HAVE BROUGHT MY DAUGHTER!"**

My chest rises and falls very quickly as I back up, feeling awfully self-conscious. **"Please…Widow, you can't let me leave…" **I don't know what to say anymore except to feel like I was the only cat in the world and I was alone, and I couldn't do it, and…

**"Mother, please wait."**

Is someone actually _defending me?_ I turn in shock to see a brown and black she-cat trot into the den, not giving me a second glance, but instead heading right over to Widow, who she has called her mother. **"If this tom knows the general direction of where Arachnid has gone…" **She smiles, a cold, icy smile. **"Could he not lead us to that place, where we could track her scent?" **

Widow blinks, suddenly looking surprised, or maybe a little bit confused. But that expression is gone as quick as it was there, replaced by a grinning, horrible smile that showed her sharp yellow teeth. **"Tara, you truly are the smartest of my kits," **she purrs.

In a complete change of personality, she zips away from her daughter's side and yanks me to my paws with one claw. **"You! Will you lead us to Arachnid's hiding spot?"**

I cannot speak, so I simply nod my head, throat dry. One ear flicks as a spider crawls across it, provoking a shudder. **"Yes. Yes, I can."**

**"Good." **She stares off into space and lets out a deep sigh. **"Arachnid may not have been the most liked cat in this group, but there is one lesson she needs to learn."**

When Widow faces me again, the expression on her face is so evil, so malicious, that I actually fall backwards, landing atop one of the spiders with a dull squish. Sorely hoping she wouldn't notice, I sit up and flinch as she hisses in a deep, low, menacing voice.

**"****_No cat ever_**** leaves my tribe."**


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

We've done it. We've actually done it! We've made it to the territory of the great Clans! Lynx's words spin back through my head. _WindClan is the fastest Clan, with a tendency for eating rabbits and a love of the open sky. _I'm so excited I can't even speak, so the she-cat hisses again, **"What are you doing on WindClan territory?"**

**"Please forgive us," **Rose mews softly, bowing her head. **"We've been looking to find a Clan for sunrises."**

The she-cat turns back and exchanges a glance with her companions, who both shrug. Turning back to Rose, she asks, in a slightly calmer voice now, **"Why have you been looking for a Clan?"**

Before Rose can speak, Owl leaps to his paws, fur puffed up with excitement. Those amber eyes of his are sparkling with excitement now, reflecting his utter joy. **"We'd like to join your Clan. That's why we've been searching."**

One of the toms steps forward now, eyes narrowed in either confusion or hesitation, I wasn't sure which. His fluffy tail twitches ever so slightly back and forth, over and over again. **"Bristlestream," **he addresses the she-cat. **"How could we be sure these cats are not infiltrators, planning to tear us apart from the inside?"**

**"They're hardly older than kits, Firetail," **the she-cat, evidently known as Bristlestream, remarked sarcastically. **"I don't think anyone would send kits to take over our camp."**

Rose's eyes widened, and she turned and shot a horrified glance at me. I knew that she was also curious about why any cat would ever dare to infiltrate the camp of one of the Clans. Quietly, we sent a silent agreement between each other that we would wait until we were addressed to speak again. Had to seem kind, you know.

Firetail rolled his eyes and dug his claws into the heather-laced ground of the moor, upsetting dirt, which bundled around his claws. **"I still say it's fishy. What if these three bring trouble to our Clan?"**

Bristlestream sighed and stared up at the sky, an exasperated look upon her face. **"You worry too much. I say we should take them to Skystar. See what ****_he _****says." **Turning back to the three, she asked in a curious tone, **"What are your names?"**

**"I'm Owl," **the tom spoke first, as he usually did.

**"Rose."**

**"…Arachnid," **I spat out, feeling the horrible word like a bitter piece of prey on my tongue and spitting it out before I had to take another bite. Rose and Owl stare at me, confused, and it takes me a second I haven't told them my full name yet. **"But you can call me Ara," **I said to Bristlestream, who smiled ever-so-slightly.

**"We can't have a cat named Arachnid-call-me-Arapaw in the Clan, you know," **Firetail remarked over Bristlestream's shoulder; her blue eyes flashed with anger.

**"Then we can ****_adjust. _****Spiderpaw would fit just the same purpose, and cats could still call her Ara, though I guess that would be kind of weird…ah, well. We'll deal with that when we get to camp." **The black she-cat peered over her shoulder at the tom still hovering, watching, not making any move of any kind. **"Firetail? Do you have anything to say?"**

Firetail blinks, as if he doesn't like being put in the limelight, but I don't know how that could be – he had seemed so confident and maybe just a bit arrogant before! **"I don't trust them," **he finally spits out.

_Well, that much was obvious. Sheesh. _I groan inwardly.

**"Please," **Rose begs in her polite little voice. **"We mean no threat to you. We just want to find a Clan."**

Bristlestream smiles. **"And I'm not going to stop you. Firetail, Amberfur, you run back along to Skystar and tell him we have new cats coming to join the Clan." **

The two cats nod, though Firetail mutters under his breath before he turns away with a whip of his large, furry ginger tail. I watch with interest as they disappear into the heather. _Would I ever be able to run like that? This is WindClan, cats of the moor…I can see Owl going that fast, maybe._

A shudder passes throughout my body before I can stop it, but not a shudder of fear or of horror, but a shudder of _delight_. It's been so long since I've had one of those the feeling is almost unfamiliar to me. _We're at a Clan! We've made it! I can finally escape for real and carve my own destiny – a destiny where I'm not struck by spiders and cruel siblings around every corner! _

Bristlestream turns to us, blue eyes sparkling, and I realize that she's almost as excited as we are. **"So, are you ready to meet the Clan?"**

Rose exhales, quivering slightly, while Owl's amber eyes are alight with delight. **"Yeah," **he breathes.

**"I hope so," **the tortoiseshell whispers.

All eyes turn to me. _Am _I ready? Am I ready to change my life, twist it upside down, meet new cats and have new adventures? Am I?

Memories flash through my mind – Tara pinning me down, her teeth at my throat, warm breath against the side of my face. Her whispers, the same whispers that still haunt my nightmares. I remember Widow's den, and her smile, as grim as the night itself.

**"Yes," **I say, with confidence brimming at the edge of my voice. **"Yes, I am."**

Bristlestream nods, and something tells me that I'm going to like her. She turns without another word, beckons with her tail to follow, and sprints off into the heather leaving not a trace behind except for her pawsteps and the dust she has stirred up. Rose, Owl and I stare at each other in awe, eyes wide and excited, before we take off after her too.

Maneuvering through the heather and rocks is actually a little harder than I had thought at first. Several times I slip on a stray rock that seems to just appear out of nowhere, and the dust being kicked up from Owl, who is right in front of me, blurs my vision and doesn't help any. I cough, trying to get it out of my system, then yelp as I realize I'm being left behind.

Rose is no better off than I am; in fact, she's doing worse. She can't seem to figure out where to put her paws, or how to position them to make it through the harsh moor. I feel pity for her, but don't know how to help her without seeming weak in front of this Clan.

Owl is doing great, like I suspected. His long, lanky legs and small frame are perfect for weaving in and out of the different aspects of the moorland, and he catches up with Bristlestream easily. She looks surprised, but doesn't question him, which only makes me irritated and more determined to keep up. I push my paws harder, and then all of a sudden the two in front of me have skidded to a halt, but I'm going too fast, and now Owl and I are tumbling head over heels through the dust into a slope of sorts. Cats are yowling but I can't make any one word out; I'm too dizzy. And then it stops.

I lift my head up, still slightly groggy, but blink as a new face appears in front of mine: a concerned face belonging to a blue-grey tom perhaps a little older than I am. His bright blue eyes seem to peer into me.

**"Are you okay?" **he asks, mew slightly over a chuckle.

Heat rises to my head; I fold my ears back and look away. **"Yeah…just a little tumble. I'm fine." **

He laughs. **"If you say so. I'm Dewpaw, nice to meet you. You must be one of the new ones that Amberfur told me about." **Dewpaw's eyes are bright and beautiful, a sky blue that seems like the shade you would see in dreams alone. I find myself staring.

Owl struggles out from underneath me, groaning, an irritated look on his face and in those clear amber eyes. **"Hey, I'm one of the cats too! Yeah, isn't that cool?" **There's an edge to his tone that I don't quite understand. Why does he seem so angry? Clearly Dewpaw is just trying to be nice.

The tom doesn't answer, studying me, though my eyes must be nowhere as nice as his in comparison. **"What's your name?" **he asks curiously.

**"Owl!" **comes an indignant voice from behind me.

**"Arachnid," **I breathe, heart suddenly beating way too fast. **"But…but I like to be called Ara."**

Before Dewpaw can say anything more, there's a skidding noise behind us and I see Bristlestream and Rose panting. **"Are you alright?" **Rose asks us both, eyes wide and panicked. It seemed she had been worrying. She had no need to – I was obviously okay. Maybe even more than okay. I was in a Clan! I had escaped my life!

**"Fine," **Owl grumbles, white fur puffed up for whatever reason. **"Just fine." **

Someone must have gotten on his nerves. Maybe he'd prefer joining a different Clan? Nah, he was perfect for WindClan. I couldn't seem to figure out what was wrong.

Dewpaw laughs and smiles, tipping his head to one side at me. **"My father will want to see you three now," **he meows in a smooth voice, a little high-pitched but nothing that makes me feel uncomfortable. **"He's the leader, you know. Skystar."**

**"Finally you acknowledge my existence," **Owl snaps, brushing off his coat with one of his paws and grunting.

Rose shoots him a worried glance, but turns back to Dewpaw. **"So where is your father?" **she asks, before staring up at something behind me, eyes going wide. I start to ask her what's wrong, when I feel a darkness like a shadow leaning over me. A shudder goes down my spine, and I know that I'm being watched. Turning slowly, hardly daring to move more than that, I look up and see the largest tom I've ever seen in my life. He's huge, with long, shaggy blue-grey fur and dark green eyes that seem to pierce my very soul. He pulls back his lips, revealing long, yellowed, jagged teeth. He looks like he's going to eat me up, and I shrink backward, terrified.

Dewpaw speaks then, his voice just as calm as ever. **"Ara, meet my father…Skystar."**


End file.
